1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical disc reproducing apparatus and particularly to an optical disc reproducing apparatus connectable to the Internet.
2. Description of the Related Art
A standard called a profile is specified for a Blu-ray Disc (registered trademark; hereinafter, referred to as “BD”). A new function called “BD-Live” is defined in the latest standard “BD-ROM Profile 2.0” of BD-ROMs.
“BD-Live” is a function of downloading auxiliary data corresponding to contents of a BD being reproduced via the Internet utilizing a LAN (Local Area Network) module, recording them in an auxiliary storage device (storage device having a capacity of 1 Gbyte and above) and reproducing the contents of the BD utilizing the downloaded auxiliary data.
Auxiliary data to be downloaded include, for example, movie preview footage, bonus footage, subtitle and dubbing in additional languages, a password to watch the bonus footage, and the like.
On the other hand, some of optical disc reproducing apparatuses of recent years include a contents streaming reproduction function via the Internet utilizing a LAN module in addition to a function of reproducing optical discs. Conventionally, in such an optical disc reproducing apparatus, a LAN module has constantly operated during the operation of the optical disc reproducing apparatus.
Also in a conventional optical disc reproducing apparatus compatible with “BD-Live”, a LAN module has similarly constantly operated during the operation of the optical disc reproducing apparatus. However, cases which require Internet connection during the reproduction of a BD are limited and there has been a problem that the constant operation of the LAN module causes the waste of CPU (Central Processing Unit) resources and power consumption of the optical disc reproducing apparatus.
Note that, without being limited to “BD-Live” compatible optical disc reproducing apparatuses, similar problems occur in optical disc recording apparatuses in general which require Internet connection during the reproduction of an optical disc only in limited cases.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publications Nos. 2003-263873, 2009-15900 and 2002-142141 disclose a power consumption reduction technology. Any of Japanese Unexamined Patent Publications Nos. 2003-263873, 2009-15900 and 2002-142141 neither discloses nor indicates a power consumption reduction technology in optical disc reproducing apparatuses which require Internet connection during the reproduction of an optical disc only in limited cases.